Parc Entertainment - A Video Production Company - Birmingham, AL

Getting started as a freelancer or small business owner in the creative field is definitely exciting. Whether you are in video production, graphic design, photography, web design, etc. emotions become a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. As you grow your business, you will always be on the lookout for new relationships and new opportunities. But as you promote your busines, it’s important to keep some ethical guidelines in mind.

At some point in your career, you will be hired out as a sub-contractor for another company. You may be hired to go out and shoot some b-roll footage or you might be asked to shoot some stills of a particular event. During these jobs, you are representing some one else - not your own business. You should never use it as an opportunity to hand out your own business cards and gain clients for yourself. This can be difficult to do, especially if you are first starting out and the client is pleased with your work. Remember, how would you feel if you had an established relationship with a client and a freelancer you hired was on location promoting himself and not your business?

In other situations you might be brought in on a project because you have a specific skill set. For example, let’s say a marketing project manager has a client who requests video production work in addition to the website that’s already being designed. The project manager might pull you in to handle that aspect of the job. In this particular scenario you should try and meet with the client only when the project manager is present. Remember, it’s the project manager’s client, not yours, and he/she should definitely stay in the loop. If you have to email the client directly for any reason, always Cc: the project manager. There are two more things to keep in mind with this particular arrangement:

1. Never discuss payment terms with the client. That’s between you and the project manager. Remember, you are a vendor.
2. Never accept payment directly from the client, unless you have permission from the project manager. Usually a project manager will include a markup into the budget to cover his/her time and overhead. Never give the impression that you are trying to conduct business behind the project manager’s back.

I know that as a freelancer or small business owner, it’s important to be zealous in your marketing efforts. But what’s more important is that you remain ethical.

Part of being a successful freelancer or small business owner is having a specific vision for the type of work you want to go after. Early in your career, however, you might have to take jobs you wouldn’t ordinarily accept. But what happens when you are a few years into your career and a job is offered to you that doesn’t exactly fit with your vision? When should you take it and when should you pass?

1. Consider the Contact - the job itself might not be attractive, but if the individual offering you the job is someone who can offer bigger and better jobs in the future, it might be wise to take it. Do what you can to establish that relationship. If he or she is pleased with your work on the smaller jobs, they’ll be more inclined to come back to you later.
2. Consider Your Finances - Keeping an eye on your cash flow is important. If the three-month outlook isn’t where it needs to be, consider taking those smaller jobs to make ends meet.
3. Consider the Timeframe - How soon does the prospective client need the final product? If you can come through in a pinch with a quality product, your client will see you as a reliable resource and will be eager to hire you again.

Always consider the kind of reputation you are building. Evaluate it and make sure it’s a reputation that fits in with your goals.

I first saw this presentation at Doc Yankee’s Marketing Mojo blog. You can also follow Doc Yankee on Twitter. The slide show presentation is from Jay Conrad Levinson and features 90 things you can do to market yourself and your business in low-cost, but creative ways. Some items on the list won’t be for everyone, but I’m sure you will be able to find a lot of useful information.

I was listening to an internet marketing podcast recently and the hosts of the show were discussing how E-Consultancy is using Twitter to join in on public conversations related to their company. Here’s a quick synopsis of E-Consultancy, as stated on their website:

Econsultancy is a community where the world’s digital marketing and ecommerce professionals meet to sharpen their strategy, source suppliers, get quick answers, compare notes, help each other out and discover how to do everything better online.

Founded in 1999, Econsultancy has grown to become the leading source of independent advice and insight on digital marketing and ecommerce.

Our reports, events, online resources and training programmes help our 80,000+ members make better decisions, build business cases, find the best suppliers, look smart in meetings and accelerate their careers.

E-Consultancy searched for what people were saying about them on Twitter and placed a live feed of those tweets right on their home page. And there’s no content filtering, so if there are people out there with negative feelings toward E-Consultancy, those thoughts will show up right on the home page.

Just a few years ago, this practice of exposing potential customers to potentially negative reviews would be a no-no. However, in today’s social media world, this transparency might be refreshing. It demonstrates to the public that this company listens to their customers and strives to be prompt in addressing all concerns. It shows that they are engaged and tuned in to conversations about their brand.

This doesn’t mean that you have to put a live Twitter feed on your home page, but it does illustrate the point that as business owners, we have a responsibility to the people we serve. You need to be engaged in what people are saying about your brand. Listen to them. Respond in a timely manner. And always look for ways to improve your brand.

What are your thoughts about E-Consultancy’s move? Good or bad?